Drake Bell said he’s feeling “like a big weight” has been lifted off of him after opening up about the sexual abuse he faced as a child star.
In a clip from Monday’s upcoming episode of the “Man Enough” podcast obtained by People, Bell, 37, said the experience of sharing the long-kept secret of his abuse was “very scary” but “very freeing” at the same time.
In March, the “Drake and Josh” actor appeared in Investigation Discovery’s “Quiet on Set” docuseries where he opened up about being sexually abused by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck when he was 15.
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“Even though there’s so much happening and it is on such a public stage, it’s nothing compared to how I have felt in the past,” Bell said.
“The more that I’m able to talk about it, and the more that I’m able to articulate my thoughts just for myself, in my own mind, there is a big weight that feels lifted and is freeing,” he added.
But, he notes that the trauma sparked by his abuse is something that will last the rest of his life.
“There’s going to be a range of emotions,” he said.
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The “Found a Way” singer also revealed that his inspiration to seek treatment at a rehabilitation center stemmed from him “not recognizing myself.”
He noted that his behaviors and actions were “just so out of character for not just who I want to be or who I want the world to see me as but who I know I am and how I know myself.” He also remembered thinking he could let his wrongdoings be the end of his story or he could “not stay down” and “fight for what is important to you and your life.”
Later on the podcast, he also acknowledged the previous allegations laid against him.
In June 2021, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles for allegedly sending inappropriate messages to an underage girl in 2017. He was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service.
Bell explained the situation, saying that the ordeal was not “a moment of weakness” and emphasizing that his past abuse didn’t qualify as justification for his actions. He said that he “shouldn’t have been texting her in the first place.”
It’s not the first time the actor has acknowledged grooming accusations.
In an appearance on the “Not Skinny, but Not Fat” podcast, Bell addressed the situation saying, “I responded on some DMs and was incredibly irresponsible and got myself into conversations that I shouldn’t have had.”
Bell refuted claims that he’d groomed the teenage girl, but said he pleaded guilty due to being financially “devastated.”
“I had just had a son, and I didn’t want to put my family through all of this anymore,” he told podcast host Amanda Hirsch. “I ended up going through the process the way that I did. Very regretful.”
